Ambiguous Images

Ambiguous images have more than one image in them. An ambiguous illusion may show you a picture with the words, "What do you see?" under it. That is because two people could look at the same picture, but see something different. Although you may be able to flip back and forth and see both figures, your eyes will not let you see both at the same time. One of the most famous illusions of this type is the old lady/young lady illusion. No one knows for sure where this illusion originated, but it was on an anonymous German postcard in 1888.

The figure was later changed by psychologists and appeared in many journals in the 1930s. Another way images can be ambiguous is by depth. In other words, you don’t know if the object is coming or going. You can see it both ways, depending on your perspective, but not at the same time. Other types of ambiguous illusions include the talking vase, the barber pole, and the breathing square. To see even more examples of ambiguous illusions, click here.